Acetylene generator



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,957

w. H. SAUTER. q

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

FILED JULY 25. 1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923;

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SAUTEE, F OWATONNA, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEFTON COMPANY, OF OWATONNA, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

Application filed. July 25, 1919. Serial No. 313,282.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. SAUTER, a citizen of the United States, resident of Owatonna, county of Steele, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene Generators, of which the following is a specification.

In the care of an acetylene generator of this type, the gas bell should be raised and the generation of gas resumed before beginning the operation of pumping out the sludge in the bottom of the tank, the object being to prevent the entrance of air into the generator when the pump is attached and during the pumping process assuming that the gas in the generator is practically exhausted and the bell has reached the limit of its downward movement. It often happens in practice that the user of the generator through haste or forgetfulness will begin pumping without first raising the gas bell, resulting in the admission of air onto the tank and the service pipes.

The object of my present invention is to provide means connected with the cap or cover of the pipe through which the sludge is removed, arranged in such relation to the gas hell that the bell must first be raised before the cap can be removed, thereby insuring the proper sequence of operation of the parts of the generator preparatory to cleaning and refilling.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an acetylene generator embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the generator, showing the device for closing the pipe to which the pump is attached,

Figure 3 is a detail view of a portion of the tank and the pipe, showing the cap lifted and swung to one side to allow the attachment of the pump to the tank.

In the drawing, 2 represents the water chamber of the generator, 3 the hopper, l the gas bell submerged in the liquid seal in the annular chamber 5, 6 the auxiliary carbide hopper and 7 the gas filter communicating with the service pipe 8. 9 is the water supply pipe for the tank 2 and 10 the agitator arranged to sweep over the bottom of the tank. 11 is the pipe connected through the lower walls of the generator with the water chamber and extending to the surface of the ground. Through this pipe the sludge or waste material in the bottom of the generator is removed. 12 is a cap or cover for the upper end of this pipe. 13 is a rod mounted in guides 14 on the inner wall of the generator and having a horizontal extension 15 at its upper end which passes outwardly through a recess 15 in the wall of the generator and is connected with the cap 12. The lower end of the rod 13 is provided with a loop 16 whichprojects in under the wall of the gas bell.

When the gas bell is in its lowered position, the rod 13 cannot be raised, as the loop 16 will strike the lower walls of the bell and prevent upward movement of the rod and the disengagement of the cap 12 from the pipe 11. It is necessary, therefore, before beginning the operation of removing the sludge from the tank to raise the bell by hand so that the generation of gas as explained below will be resumed and when the bell has been raised sufficiently to allow the cap 12 to be removed from the pipe 11, the operator may then attach thepump to this pipe and remove the waste products from the tank.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, the lever 4 for operating the valve 4* is shown in the position it assumes when the lower blade of the valve is closed and the upper blade open, these blades being in staggered relation on the valve stem, as shown in the patent to Claud J. Clefton, No. 1,133,618. Upon contact of the gas bell with the lever 4P the weighted end will be lifted and the valve turned on its axis to reverse the position of the blades. This will move the upper blade to the closing position and open the lower blade and at this point the carbide holder will be filled with carbide when the auxiliary holder is removedfl.

Assuming now that the generator has to be cleaned out, it is desirable to first gen- I and allow the carbide in thello-wer chamher to drop into the water and generate sufficient gas to fill the space created by the removal of the water in the bottom of the generator. This gas pressure evidentlywill aid in excluding airfrom entrance into the generator during the operation of pumping out the water and sludge.

In Figure l I have shown the gas bell partially raised, with its walls lifted away from or out of engagement with the loop 16, but it will be understood that when the bell is at the limit ofits downwardmovement its walls will be close to the-loop and will prevent the lifting of the rod 13 and the cap 12 until the bell has been raised sutliciently to permit such movement.

With this arrangement it is evident that the user of the tank must follow the proper sequence of operation in refil'lingand instead of begmnmg the pumping operation-immediately vhemust first raise the bell and allow water chamber, a pipe connected with the,

lower portion of said water chamber through which the sludge is removed, a cap for said pipe, and means connected with said cap preventing its removal from said pipe until said gas bell is raised.

2. The combination, in an acetylene generator,.of a water chamber, a carbide hopper and a gas bell, means actuatedby the rise and fallo-fsaid bell for discharging carbide fromsaid hopper into said water chamber,

a rod mounted on the wall of said generator and having one end projecting under the wall of said gas-bell, a pipe connected with said water chamber and through which the sludge is removed, and a cap for said pipe connected with said rod and removable fro-m said. pipe only when said rod is raised after the liftingof said gas bell.

3. The combination, in a gas generator of a carbide hopper and a water chamber, a gas bell, means actuated'by the rise and fall of said bell for discharging carbide from said hopper into said water chamber,

a pipe for removing the sludge from said water chamber, means for'closing the passage through said pipe and means co-operating with said closing means to prevent the opening of said passage untiljsaid gas bell is raised a predetermined distance.

4. The combination, in a gas generator, of a carbide hopper and ,a Water chamber, a gas bell therefor, means actuated by the rise and fall of said bell fordischarging carbide from said hopper into said water chamber, a draw-off means through which the sludge, is removed from the generator, a closing device for the draw-off passage, and means preventing the opening of said passage until saidgas bell is raised.

5. The combination, in a gas generator, of a carbide hopper, and a water chamber, a gas bell therefor arranged to rise and fall with the generation and discharge of the gas, a pipe connected With the lower portion of said water chamber through which the sludge is removed, a closing means for said pipe, and means preventing the opening of said closing means and the removal of the sludge from said Water chamber until said gas bell is raised to a pre determined point.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16 day of July 1919.

WILLIAM H; SAUTER.

Witnesses GUY J. CLnrToN,

C. L. GREENW O 

